WRIC Richmond News and Weather - GOP Gains Three Va. House Seats
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Republicans have gained at least three seats to strengthen their grip on the House of Delegates.
However, they lost an influential delegate who has been embroiled in a scandal. Republican Delegate Phil Hamilton of Newport News lost his re-election bid to Robin Abbott. Hamilton, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee is the subject of investigations by a House ethics panel and a federal grand jury into allegations that he arranged a $40,000-a-year job for himself at Old Dominion University as he steered state money to the school.
Republicans also lost an open seat formerly held by state GOP chairman Jeff Frederick.
But those GOP losses were more than offset by victories over five Democratic incumbents, giving Republicans a working majority of at least nine seats in the 100-member House. James Moorefield beat Dan Bowling in southwestern Virginia, and Chris Stolle ousted Joseph Bouchard in Virginia Beach. In Loudoun county, Thomas Greason defeated David Poisson.
In Fairfax County, James LeMunyon beat Chuck Caputo and Richard Anderson defeated Paul Nichols.
Three races remained undecided.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
